February 25, 2019 (Mon)
6:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Wine Vault & Bistro is pleased to announce a 6-course winemaker dinner featuring ColleMassari winery from Montecucco in Tuscany along with two of their other properties in Montalcino and Valtellina. Export manager Emanuele Gastel, who those of you who went on our Tuscany tours last year met at the estate, is flying in from Italy just to host this dinner for us.

We're serving two of the ColleMassari wines from Montecucco to start (a Vermentino and a red blend), followed by two of their San Giorgio wines from Montalcino about an hour north (a Rosso and a Brunello), plus a 100% Nebbiolo from their Aldo Rainoldi property in Northern Italy near the Swiss border. Chef Gregory and I designed an awesome Italian menu to pair with these wines, many of which were inspired by some of the dishes and drinks we had on last year's tours.

We hope to see you here! Wine notes and bottle prices are at the end of this announcement if you're interested. As always, as a courtesy to everyone attending this dinner, we'll make all of the limited production wines available for purchase first to those in attendance before putting them on the shelves for the general public. Here's the line-up:

NOTE: Due to the complexity of this menu we regret that we are unable to accommodate vegetarian requests.

COSTCost for the complete dinner including all six courses and all five wines is $59.50 per person. Sales tax and an 18% gratuity will be added to the cost of all dinners. Due to limited seating, CREDIT CARD RESERVATIONS ARE AN ABSOLUTE MUST. We accept Visa and MasterCard only.

SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDSDue to the complexity of this menu we regret that we will be unable to accommodate vegetarian requests. If you have any other special dietary needs, please let us know when you RSVP, not when you arrive. We will do our best to accommodate special dietary needs if we can and if given advance notice. Please be aware that last minute menu aberration requests without advance notice will be impossible for us to accommodate.

CANCELLATION POLICYYou may cancel your reservation up to 72 hours in advance without penalty. NO REFUNDS WILL BE ISSUED WITH LESS THAN 72-HOUR NOTICE unless we are able to replace your cancellation at the last minute. (See below for groups over 4 people.)

LARGE GROUPS (OVER 4)If you want to come with a group of friends, please make one reservation for your entire party so we can reserve a block of seats for you ... however, in the interest of fairness to others, we reserve the right to limit the number of people on a single reservation at our discretion. The cancellation period for canceling the ENTIRE reservation without penalty is doubled from the standard 72 hours (see above) to 144 hours (6 days). If you need to cancel only 1 or 2 people, the standard 72-hour notice still applies.

WHENThe dinners begin promptly at 5:00 on Sunday and 6:30 on Monday and Tuesday, but we HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend that you arrive earlier to better your chances of getting a closer parking space. The bar opens at 4:15 on Sunday and 5:45 on Monday and Tuesday if you'd like to mingle with the winemaker and enjoy an adult beverage before dinner.

WHEREWine Vault & Bistro is located in the heart of San Diego between Little Italy and Old Town at 3731-A India Street on the upper terrace. Follow the black handrail from the sidewalk up the stairs to our front door.

PARKINGValet parking is available on Sunday only for $8.00. The drop-off point is two doors south of our entrance in front of Shakespeare Pub at the corner of India and Winder. On-street parking is also usually available within a 3-block radius. Remember that it’s OK to park in yellow commercial zones after 6:00 (or all day on Sunday) and that meters are also not enforced after 6:00 (or all day on Sunday). You can also park in the lot behind Shakespeare Pub two doors down, but do not park in El Indio's lot unless you want your car towed! If you can’t find parking next to the restaurant, there’s always LOTS OF PARKING on San Diego Avenue and the adjacent side streets just past the Chevron station across Washington Street. So please don't drive yourself crazy endlessly going around in circles waiting to pounce on that perfect spot when there's TONS OF PARKING less than three blocks away!

WINE QUANTITIESWe'll be pouring 3-5 ounce tasting portions of wine (see the line-up above) plus one ounce of Orange Brandy for a total of 20 ounces, or the equivalent of almost a full bottle of wine per person. Pour buckets are provided for designated drivers.

WINE SALESAlthough some wines may be in limited quantities, all wines poured at this dinner will be available for purchase at the restaurant until sold out. We reserve the right to limit sales of any rare or allocated wines at our discretion.

WINE NOTES & BOTTLE PRICES2017 ColleMassari "Melacce" Vermentino ~ $17(Italy) Winemaker's Notes: Very clean with a fruity-fresh first sip. Aromas of Granny Smith apple, white peach and sweet limes, as well as a hint of exotic fruits, are. Crisp and dry on the palate with fantastic minerality.

2015 San Giorgio "Ciampoleto" Rosso di Montalcino ~ $24(Italy) Winemaker's Notes: 100% Sangiovese. Fruity nose of ripe berries as well as autumn flowers. Smooth, supple and fresh on the palate with delicate tannins that give it a very nice structure. Moderate in body and very accessible. A classic fruity red wine, with great character and finesse and a fresh, fruity after-taste.

2015 Aldo Rainoldi "Grumello" Valtellina Superiore ~ $27(Italy) Winemaker's Notes: 100% Nebbiolo. Delicate aroma with strong hints of hazelnut. On the palate, it is well balanced and full bodied.

2012 San Giorgio "Ugolforte" Brunello di Montalcino ~ $58(Italy) Winemaker's Notes: 100% Sangiovese. Exudes very inviting fragrances of wild strawberries, leather, cedar and dry mandarin peels. Rich in finesse and elegant on the palate. Notes of cedar, prunes and juicy figs can also be discerned, as well as a subtle note of truffle. The tannins are fine and delicate and create a tight yet complex structure. Extremely layered and exciting. The longer you breathe in the aromas of this elegant classic, the more appealing it becomes.

Caffe CorrettoServed in cafes throughout Italy, caffe corretto is typically made by adding a splash of grappa or Sambuca to a shot of espresso, but any liquor can be used. Instead of adding the liquor directly to the espresso, some cafes will serve a small shot on the side so the customer can regulate how much they want to add ... and for really loyal regulars, some bartenders have been known to serve the bottle along with the espresso so the customer can pour as much as they want! We experimented with many different types during our recent Tuscany tours and found that most folks prefer an orange liqueur like Grand Marnier instead. So our version is simply extra strong (decaf) coffee with a wonderful Spanish orange liqueur made by Torres called Magdala. While we won't plop the bottle down on your table, we will pour the shot separately so you can regulate the strength of your own caffe corretto.

THE FINE PRINTDue to fluctuations of supply, we reserve the right to make substitutions of equal or greater value in case any of the wines or foods become unavailable. Please, ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY NO ONE UNDER THE AGE OF 21 ... even if your babysitter flakes out on you at the last minute!

Hope to see you here. Buon appetito and cheers!

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